Officers Undertaking Foreign Visits: 10 Rules

IN LESS than one month, the government issued two sets of directives imposing curbs on foreign tours by bureaucrats. No officer can now undertake foreign visits beyond four times. The fresh directive issued by expenditure department says the trend of officers travelling abroad at the expense of PSUs should be discouraged. Here are 10 commandments:

1. No officer should undertake more than four official visits abroad in a calendar year.
2. If an officer undertakes more than four foreign visits, detailed justification would need to be furnished.
3. Any foreign visit beyond the stipulated four visits would be allowed only in exceptional cases depending on functional need.
4. Proposals for participation in conferences, seminars, conventions, workshop, study tours, presentation of papers abroad at government cost will not be entertained.
5. Such visits (No 4) could be considered only if those that are fully funded by sponsoring or inviting organisations, keeping in mind the public interest and the government business at home.
6. The size of the official delegation and duration of visit need to be kept at absolute minimum.
7. Union secretary level officer should travel abroad only if their presence is essential, and officers of the level of additional secretary or joint secretary cannot be substituted for them.
8. The trend of officers travelling abroad at the expense of PSUs should be discouraged.
9. Such journeys should be undertaken specifically in connection with affairs of the PSU concerned.
10. Wherever the expenditure on the foreign visit of a government official is borne by PSUs, the entitlements of the officer shall remain as his entitlement under the government rules.